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Hm,
No I have no time for complaining.
He may be everything you say he is, and most people might agree (I have no view as I do not know the man) but I am uncomfortable that some how its okay to insult people who are not involved in CS but it is not acceptable if they are? By that logic Short would not be allowed to insult you in return.
How does one decide who can be insulted and who can not? Do we look to see if they are listed as SCO by FIDE, and if not they're fair game? :\
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I didn't say it wasn't acceptable to have a go at CS people, etc. (if they deserve it) just that doing it here might be the wrong place. You don't invite people into your house for a chat and then expect them to slag you off!
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Like Mike (Scott), I agree that Andy B's choice of words re: Nigel Short are distasteful and I'd prefer to see them deleted from this thread. I have known Nigel since he was about 9 or so and played against him several times.
I may not agree with all Nigel says and how he may sometimes have made some of his points - we are all, of course, in any case in glass houses on that one and few can say that they may never have overstated whatever case they held - but I have never found Nigel to be anything other than a very easy person to get on with and have never felt that he was not open to rational argument on any point.
Moreover he really has done an awful lot for chess in the UK and not just England.
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Andy, don't worry about Mike and Craig. I, like you, have the same opinion of Nigel Short and as evidenced by your quote relating to Tony Miles and Jim's posting of an article of Short's from the Sunday Telegraph. If anyone should be censured by Chess Scotland its Nigel Short! A brilliant Chess player there is no doubt but he would be wiser to keep his opinions to himself especially when they are just hurtful and mean spirited.
I hear he is building bridges at the FIDE General Assembly (with the other home nations) but I wonder how long it will take him to turn to arson. =)
Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional!
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Keeping "hurtful and mean-spirited opinions" to yourself (David Deary's sentiments which I wholly applaud) surely applies both ways!?
Such opinions are just as unwelcome whether uttered by a Nigel Short (in someone's opinion) or by anyone who .... allows himself or herself to get so worked up by the (perceived) offensiveness of such utterances as to reduce their corrective reply to the level of the "offender" ... almost always unhelpfully.
By all means argue against anything Nigel Short or anyone else says or writes. Keeping such put downs firmly argued, factual and civil, however, tends to enhance points. Adding gratuitous insult almost always detracts from them ... to my mind!
Have fun rather than fisticuffs!
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Andy Howie/McHarg
What are your thoughts?
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Generally speaking you are correct Craig and I don't often have a pop at people in such terms. However, the phrase 'he needs a right good slap' didn't come about by chance - certain people go through life thinking they can say and do anything they please. I would also point out that your use of "(perceived)" is unnecessary - some things are just what they are!
P.S. Occasional fisticuffs are a necessary part of the human condition
